The Choice has invited Marie Bigham, a former college admissions officer and veteran college counselor, and
Mark Kantrowitz, a financial aid expert, to answer your questions about comparing financial aid offers and deciding where to enroll in the blog’s virtual Guidance Office, a forum for college applicants and their families seeking expert advice.

The moderated Q. and A. session, which begins Monday, will continue throughout the week.

In this first installment of answers, the panelists respond to questions about choosing a college based on its prestige, choosing an undergraduate program based on graduate school goals, and reporting financial hardships.

Some questions, and answers, below have been edited, including for length and style. — Tanya Abrams

Higher Grades vs. More Prestige

Q.

My son’s focus has changed since he applied to schools. He was rejected by three (one with an invitation to apply as a transfer next year), accepted by three, and is awaiting one rolling admission decision. He now wants to apply to transfer to five schools that were not even on his radar last fall.

In your opinion should he go to a smaller, less prestigious school where he can presumably get higher grades and get to know professors well for recommendations, or go to a larger, more prestigious school?

— horsecorgi

A.

Ms. Bigham: I would hate for any student to begin college with an eye on the exit door. I hope that your son can find his place and success at one of the three places that admitted him.

A dean of admissions at a highly selective college talks about incoming student and third-year student survey results that show his college was not the first choice college for the majority of his students upon entry, but that by their third year the vast majority of the students claim that the college was their first choice as freshmen. By the time that they are juniors, they forgot that they wanted to attend any other college only two years earlier.

All of that said, the transfer process is very different from the freshman admissions process. The applicant numbers are not nearly as large, but the number of spots available is much smaller as well. There may be less aid and housing for transfer students, too.

Prestige is not important in the transfer process, but grades and recommendations will be paramount. The essay will play a role, as he will need to articulate why he wants to explore other educational options. Colleges will want to see that he will finish there, not transfer again.

If your son was one of my advisees, I would ask him to go to one of the colleges that admitted him and to give it his all for at least one semester. Make sure that he’s taking a strong academic program that would be transferrable anywhere. (You can contact the college that encouraged him to transfer to ask what coursework it wants to see from transfer applicants.) He needs to earn strong grades and build relationships with faculty members.

If that college just does not work for him, start to explore transfer options in January. Many transfer deadlines are in March and April. Some colleges will read transfer applications into the summer. Good luck!

“Prestige is often meaningless. Prestige and $5 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks.”

— Mark Kantrowitz

Mr. Kantrowitz: Students who transfer are less likely to finish on time, typically taking an additional semester or two to graduate. Students who plan on transferring their first year are also about one-third less likely to graduate with a bachelor’s degree.

Some colleges offer less generous financial aid packages to transfer students. So it may be best to focus on lower-cost colleges.

The indecisiveness is also potentially problematic. Students who are unsure about what they want to do should take steps to crystallize their choice of college and educational program. Visit each of the colleges now, while classes are still in session. Sit in on a few introductory classes in the majors of interest.

To understand where you are headed in the future, look where you’ve been in the past. What are your skills? What subjects are of interest to you? What are you good at? What makes you happy?

A smaller college where students are provided with more individualized counseling may be best for a student who is unsure about his direction. On the other hand, a larger college may offer more fields of study, increasing the odds of his finding a major that sparks his interest.

Focus on finding the college where he will fit in and be happy. Prestige is often meaningless. Prestige and $5 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

Positioning Oneself for Graduate School

I live in North Carolina, so would you advise going to U.N.C. (which has an excellent pre-med/med school reputation) given in-state tuition, or paying at least $10,000 more to attend Emory because, in comparison to U.N.C., it’s a smaller private school?

Do you know if it is beneficial/preferential to have attended the undergraduate institution when applying to that college’s medical school/graduate programs? Thank you in advance for your help!

— Nicole Edwards

A.

Ms. Bigham: The core question should be which college will give you the opportunity to be the most attractive medical school applicant and potential doctor. Ask U.N.C. and Emory about their pre-med offerings and support.

Ask about the MCAT and application preparation as well as the prevalence of freshman “weed out” classes. Ask if the pre-med program supports the candidacy of all potential med school applicants or only those with the highest grades and scores. Find out about research and community service opportunities in the sciences.

That said, medical school is very expensive, and perhaps you should save some money by choosing the less expensive undergraduate program as long as it will get you where you want to be. Both are outstanding colleges, so you can’t go wrong here.

For the most part, graduate programs at universities do not give favor or preference to undergraduates from their university. I was told by my undergraduate adviser specifically not to apply to the graduate program in my major at my college because it wants to avoid “academic incest.” Selective graduate programs, including medical, business and law programs, want to build diverse communities of learners.

Beyond the colleges that have direct or guaranteed admissions to their graduate schools, I would say there is not a preference or benefit to attending your dream graduate school’s undergraduate program.

Mr. Kantrowitz: Students who graduate with no debt are twice as likely to go on to graduate school. So enroll at the in-state public college, which will usually be the least expensive option.

Some colleges and universities do not admit their own undergraduates to their graduate programs because they are concerned about inbreeding. Some do. Sometimes it varies by academic department. So it is best to ask each school and department about its practices.

Generally, though, it is more important that the student have a solid foundation in the prerequisite field of study. The more rigorous the classes, especially in the sciences, the better. Good communication skills are also important.

When you earn a graduate degree, nobody will care where you went for your undergraduate education.

Reporting Financial Hardship

Q.

My daughter is a junior and is an excellent student (top 2 percent). My salary is very low — $30,000 — and many of the schools to which she would like to apply are very expensive.

On paper I look like I have quite a bit of money. However, when my parents died they left money in my name to use for my brother who is on disability. (He would lose his disability if my parents left him the money so this is not for my use.) I also have high medical bills from my daughter’s surgery a few months ago. Is it appropriate to tell the college admissions office this information? Thanks.

— Deeza

A.

Mr. Kantrowitz: Unusual family financial circumstances should be discussed with the college’s financial aid office, not the admissions office.

Ask the college financial aid administrator for a professional judgment review. Some colleges call it a special circumstances review or a financial aid appeal. Anything that distinguishes the family from the typical family and anything that has changed since last year may qualify for an adjustment.

Provide the college financial aid administrator with copies of documentation of the unusual circumstances. Most colleges will make adjustments for high unreimbursed medical expenses and high dependent care costs.

In addition, the federal need analysis formula has a simplified needs test for families where the parents earn less than $50,000 a year and are eligible to file an IRS Form 1040A or 1040EZ (or satisfy certain other criteria). The simplified needs test causes all assets to be disregarded.

It is best to apply to a variety of colleges to ensure that your daughter gets a few reasonable financial aid offers. Use the colleges’ net price calculators to get a ballpark estimate of the real cost of the colleges of interest to her.

In addition to applying to her dream colleges, your daughter should also apply to at least one “financial aid safety school.” This is a college that is not only likely to admit her, but is also affordable even without financial aid. Often this will be an in-state public college. (There are also about six dozen colleges with very generous “no loans” financial aid policies, which can be as inexpensive as an in-state public college. But these colleges are among the most selective.)

Ms. Bigham: Take advantage of the colleges’ net price calculators to get an idea of what colleges will offer you in terms of financial aid. If you are able to visit these colleges with your daughter, be sure to chat with someone in the colleges’ financial aid offices about cost and options that they may offer to help you pay. When you and your daughter build her college list, make sure that you have some “financial safety” colleges as well, which will most likely be your in-state public college.

Share your special circumstances with the colleges when you apply for aid. Families can write “special circumstance” letters to the aid offices that can further clarify what the forms will not express clearly. Remember that people in admissions and financial aid offices want to work with you. Keep in mind, too, that they have institutional limits to which they must adhere.

Finally, please be upfront with your daughter about the role that cost will play as she explores colleges. It is so hard to see students work their way through this grueling process only to learn in April that their family cannot or will not pay for what the student expected. Be honest about this part of the process.

Nicole — My daughters are a college senior, a college freshman and a high school senior. I would strongly suggest that you choose between UNC-Chapel Hill and Emory based on where you prefer to be an undergraduate, not based on which school positions you better to apply for graduate school. The vast majority of students change direction once they explore subjects and activities that were not offered at high school. I applaud your current interest in Medicine, but you never know….you may end up seeking a PhD in Archeology! Congratulations on your tremendous accomplishments so far!

As a university instructor/administrator at a large public, well-ranked school, I completely concur with the idea of students choosing to go to the place they feel most comfortable. A student who is miserable will not perform well. While prestige can be helpful later on, doing well at a strong ‘mid-range” school is just as important/helpful.

Also, as SB mentioned above, I have met countless students who were completely convinced that they wanted to go to medical school when they entered college and change that idea radically once they start the pre-med track. This is not simply because the courses are challenging, (which they are everywhere, not just at top 25 schools, mind you) but also because students discover other interests. So, picking an undergraduate school simply on which you THINK MAY give you an advantage four years from now is not a great idea.

Ultimately, the students that have success in graduate school applications are those who do well freshman year, avail themselves of all that their school has to offer (in terms of internships, research, study abroad, leadership opportunities, etc. ) and who cultivate true relationships with professors and/or professional mentors. The name brand is less and less important.

I’m surprised that nobody suggested that the student whose interests have changed take a gap year and re-apply as freshman. If he think he can give it the ol’ college try at one of the 3 schools to which he was accepted, great. . . but if not, why not work for a year while pursuing other schools that better align with his new goals?

I’m surprised to read that transfers tend to graduate late. Why is this? I transferred to an Ivy and had no problem graduating on time. I was given full credit for the freshman classes I took at my first school and certain course requirements were waived.

UNC’s med school has no restriction on accepting UNC undergrads. Both Emory and UNC are good schools and they have similar rankings. Doing well at either school will position you well for the future.

As SB points out, you could very well change your career interests between now and college graduation. Which school offers you the best experience beyond preparation for med school? What are your priorities? Are you dying to get out of NC? Do you feel more comfortable in a city setting or a college town? What does your gut tell you? Spend some more time on the campuses if you can.

The difference between Carolina in-state and Emory is likely more than 10K/yr, but you won’t know your cost difference until the financial aid people give you specifics. If you’re going to be paying that difference yourself, it could be a burden. if your parents are paying, maybe it’s not.

Charlie,
In my experience, taking a gap year to reapply doesn’t really pay off the way students hope. Consider this — the academic record is, for the most part, the most valued part of the process. If a student doesn’t get into colleges and then takes a gap year, but doesn’t improve or add to their academic record, then how does the gap year help their admissions chances? Even a stellar gap year may not make up for academic shortcomings.

My son was accepted into two IVY League Schools. I am 57 years old and unemployed and currently living off my savings except my spouse who earns under 25K annual. Financial aid says my assets are too large for my son to receive very much aid (about 10K). If I cant find work, and I use the 5% rule on accessing my assets I can just about pay my expenses under a “forced early retirement”.

What should I do? Should I take out annual 40K loan, or Send my son to less expensive school alternative?

This is a tough decision. I attended Columbia as an undergraduate, and paid my entire way with private loans (almost $200k… this was the early 2000’s, when loaning was out of control, and there was some scandal in CU’s financial aid office).

I’ve been wildly successful–went on to the top graduate school in my field, earned a Ph.D., and recently got the absolute job of my dreams. That being said? Would I do it again… probably not. I’m at an enormous financial disadvantage paying approx. $1.5k/mo in loans. If things hadn’t worked out EXACTLY right… I don’t know what would have happened. It’s a scary thought. I spent years battling the stress and depression associated with this.

Looking at the process from the other side, if your son goes to a good state school and excels there, it’s unlikely that he will be at a disadvantage on the job/grad school market. Plus, he (or you) won’t be saddled with enormous debt. To be honest, if he’s being accepted to Ivy schools he clearly has the talent to succeed anywhere.

My daughter has been accepted to all the major public universities in Michigan and is ultimately aiming for medical school. Being nearby and well regarded, we have been researching entry to the University of Michigan Medical School. The homegrown-phobic theory seems to distinctly not apply here. Athttp://med.umich.edu/medschool/admissions/apply/profiles.html
for the current med school entering class, 66 out of 177 students completed undergraduate at UM. We wonder why? There are likely superior undergrad research opportunities in Ann Arbor, what else? For whatever reasons, these numbers seem to suggest undergrad at UM has distinct advantages to get to med school.

“In your opinion should he go to a smaller, less prestigious school where he can presumably get higher grades and get to know professors well for recommendations, or go to a larger, more prestigious school?”

Without knowing the schools involved, it’s hard to assess this question, but there are some assumptions here that may be extremely wrong.

First, it can be much easier to get good grades at a more prestigious school. Partly that’s because the top schools will have top students, who push each other to do better and learn from each other. Partly that’s because the top schools often have more resources to devote to students. And top schools are often much more reluctant to give C’s.

Second, a smaller school may or may not be better for recommendations. A recommendation from faculty in a more respected program may carry more weight. Students in a research university may have the chance to work with faculty as research assistants, which may generate much stronger letters than just classroom exposure. The larger school may have small enough upper-level classes for you to have meaningful interactions with faculty. Finally, whether you can get good recommendations depends tremendously on whether you can actually (a) do good work in the classroom or laboratory and (b) take the initiative to get to know your professors. Don’t be afraid of office hours!